Baling-press.



No.724,843. I PATENTED APR.7,1"903.,

L. S. GERMAN. BALING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24 1902. no 110133;; i 3 SHEETS-SHEET l- No.724,843. I PATENTED' APR, 7, 1903. L. s. GEHMAN.

BALING PRESS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 24, 1902.

' N0 MODEL- witness I I I v I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEIDY S. GElIMAN, OF ABBEVILLE, GEORGIA.

BALlNG-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pawnt N 0. 724,843, dated April 7,1903.

I Application filed June 24, 1902. SerialNo. 112,999. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, LEIDY S. GEHMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Abbeville, in the county of Wilcox and State of Georgia,have invented new and useful Improvements in Baling-Presses, of whichthe following is a specification.

-This invention relates to a hand power press for baling hay, cotton,and the like; and the object of the same is to provide a simple andefiective organization of elements of a strong and durable natureoperating to ren- .der the baling operation convenient and ex- ,will bemore fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a baling-pressembodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on theline 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective View of a removable top closure. Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of the follower.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views. 7

The numeral 1 designates longitudinallydisposed base-sills, to which thelower ends of uprights 2, disposed at regular intervals,

are firmly bolted and connect at their upper ends withlongitudinally-disposed top beams 3. The beams 3 are parallel with eachother and with the sills 1 below, and the latter are also arranged inparallel relation. Extending transversely across the under portion ofthe press and secured to the sills 1 are crossbeams 4, having uppercentral slots 5, and

connecting the top beams 3 are also upper cross-beams 6, having slots 7at the center of the lower portions thereof. The rear end of the pressis open, and from the intermediate top cross-beam 6 rearwardly the pressis inclosed by immovable sides 8, bottom 9, and top 10, the bottom 9 andtop 10 having longitudinally-extending slots lland 12 cut lowercross-beam 4 and upper cross-beam 6.

The rear terminall-y-inclosed portion of the press provides areceiving-chamber inwhich the hay or cotton to be baled is primarilydisposed. In advance of the immovable sides, top, and bottom set forthand between the intermediate and front uprights 2 and the intermediateand front top cross-beam 6 are removable sides 13, a fixed bottom14,'and a removable top section 15. Each of the sides 13 is composed oftwo sections 16 of equal dimensions hinged at their inner contiguousedges and strengthened by vertical battens 17, applied to the exteriorthereof, and over the joint of each side formed by the hinged connectionof the section 16 a covering-strip 18 is secured. The opposite terminalsof the sides areheld against the intermediate uprights 2, the said sideshaving a combined length slightly greater than the distance between theinner opposing faces of the said uprights to permit the oppositeterminals of the sides to bear against the inner edges of said uprights.

In removing and-applying the sides 13 they are bowed outwardly at thecenter to draw the opposite ends thereof out of engagement with theinner edges of the uprights 2, against which they are adapted to bear,and then pulled fully out from the press or pushed completely inward.

The top section 15 comprises two members 20 and 21, hingedat their inneropposing edges and having strengthening-battens 22 secured on the uppersurfaces thereof at regular intervals. Secured on the inner end of themember 20 is an upstanding guide-strip 23, having a transverse slot 24:cut through the center thereof, and pivotally connected to the saidguide-strip near one end is a covering and supporting strip 25, whichterminally projects beyond the end of the guidestrips 23 to bear on theupper edgesof the top beams 3. The slot 24 through the guidestrip 23 isin alinement with the slot or opening 7 in the top cross-strip 6, andsaid slot is opened and closed by turning the covering and supportingstrip off the upper edge of the guide-strip or over the latter. The rearmember 21 of the top section 15 is also formed with a longitudinal slot26 at the rear end thereof, for a purpose which will be presently setforth, and firmly secured to the rear batstop-bar elevated, as setforth.

ten 22 on the member 21 is a metallic hangerstrap 27, having upstandingangularly-bent ends 28 to rest on the upper edges of the top beams 3 toprevent the said rear member 21 from falling below a certain level whenin operative position in the press. The front end of the member has acentral longitudinallyextending slot 28 to coincide with the opening orslot 7 in the front top cross-strip 6, and when this top section isinserted in the upper portion of the press the said front end of themember 20 enters a groove or seat 29, formed under the front topcross-strip and between the lower edge of the latter and 'the front head30 of the press, the said head being stationary.

The sills 1 are extended forwardly beyond the front end of the press,and thereon is disposed a horizontal bearing-strip 31, which is securedto both the front extremities of the sills and the adjacent portions ofthe front uprights, the opposite ends of the said bearing-strip beingrecessed or mortised to fit over the front uprights 2. Likewise thefront extremities of the top beams 3 are projected forwardly beyond thefront end or head 30 of the press, and thereunder an upper bearingstrip32 is secured and similar in construction to the strip 31. At thecenters of the front edges of the bearing-strips 31 and 32 strap orother suitable boxes 33 are applied and embrace an upright Windlass 34,having its lower end movably mounted in a stepped strip 35, terminallysecured against the under edges of the forwardly-projecting extremitiesof the sills 1. On the windlass 34, close to the lower bearing-strip 31,a ratchet-wheel 36 is mounted, and above the plane of said ratchetwheela stop-bar 37 is located and has its one end pivotally connected to theinner exposed edge portion of one upright 2 and its other end projectedbeyond the opposite upright 2 and formed into a handle or grip 38. At anintermediate point the lower edge of the stopbar 37 is provided with adepending stoptooth 39, located in operative alinement with the plane ofrotation of the teeth of the ratchetwheel 36 and adapted to engage thelatter to lock the Windlass 34 against movement. It is proposed to formthe stop-bar 37 mainly of wood and to secure a metallic wear-strap 40against the under edge thereof and to hold the stop-bar elevated and thetooth 39 thereof out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel. A pin issecured adjacent to the handle or grip 38 by means of a flexible strandor chain, the; said pin being insertible in a suitable opening in theadjacent upright 2 to hold the The upper end of the Windlass 34 issupplied with ahead 41, having loops 42 projecting from opposite sidesthereof to removably receive hand-bars 43 (shown in dotted lines in Fig.l) for imparting a rotary motion to the Windlass. The

opposite extremities of the windlass above and below the strap-boxes 33are formed with .a series of corrugations 44 to receive the coils of arope or cable 45, adapted to be wound on and unwound from the Windlass.

The rope or cable 45 passes through the openings or slots 7 in thecross-strip 6 and the slot 24 in the guide-strip 23 and also through theopenings or slots 5 in the lower cross-strips 4, and, as beforeindicated, the front terminals thereof are adapted to wind on Y andunwind from the corrugations 44. The rope or cable operates a follower46, slidingly mounted in the press and comprising a front head 47,having a face-plate 48, with transverselyextending grooves 49 formedtherein for convenience in inserting and applying the bale-wires orother fastening de vices for a completed bale. Extending rearwardly fromthe center of the head 47 are upper and lower longitudinally-disposedpairs of strips 50, spaced apart from each other and providing arms, andsecured between the rear extremities of the strips is avertically-disposed pressure-bar 51, having upper 'and lowerforwardly-curved grooved ends 52, the adjacent ends of the strips 50projecting rearwardly beyond the said pressure-bar to provide guideslots or Ways 53. The ends 52 of the pressure-bar project above andbelow the arms, and also held by the latter are guideflanges 54, alsoprojecting above and below the upper and lower arms. The follower andthe arms formed by the strips 50 are further strengthened by upper andlower horizontally-disposed reinforce-strips 55, having their frontedges secured to the head 47 and at the center disposed in gains 56, cutin the upper and lower edges of the pairs of strips 50, and as a furthermeans of bracingthe arms the flanges 54 are continued from strips 57,interposed between the strips 50, and also secured to thereinforce-strip 55. The follower, as set forth, is continuallyheld incentral position within the press by the projection of the upperandlower ends of the pressure-bar 51 and of the flanges 54 through theslots 11 and 12, the said flanges being also adapted to move into theslot 26 in the rear member 21 of the top section 15, the frontprojecting ends of the flanges 54 coming into contact with the frontterminal wall of the slot 26 and also with a similar wall of a slot 58,constructed in the front portion 14 of the bottom of the press, andthereby limit the forward movement of the follower. The slots 26 and 58aline with the slots 12 and 11, and the openings or slots 5 and 7,respectively, in the lower and upper cross-strips 4 and 6 are ofvertical extent to clear the flanges 54 and the projecting ends of thepressurebar 51. The rope or cable 45 is doubled and bears upon thepressure-bar 51 and passes through the slots or ways 53 between the rearprojecting ends of the strips 50, the grooves in the upper and lowercurved ends of the pressure-bar preventing the rope or cable fromslipping out of place, and the openings or slots 7 and the slot 24 inthe guide 23 of the top section 15, as well as the openings or slots 5in the lower crossstrips 4, serve to hold the opposite or upper. andlower strands of the doubled rope or-cable in the central plane of .thepress and also assist in maintaining a positive engagement of the ropeor cable with the pressure-bar 51.,

During the baling operation it is necessary to prevent the top sectionfrom being forced upwardly by the concentration of pressure thereunder,and for this purpose a holding-bar 59 is disposed on top of the coveringand supporting bar and has locking bars hinged'to opposite ends thereof,the said locking-bars being formed with lower hooked ends 61 toremovably engage outstanding bolts 62, having upwardly-projecting.

guard-straps 63 connecting therewith to prevent the locking-bars 60 fromslipping out of place on the bolts, the latter passing through the upperextremities of the guard-straps. When the press is prepared for balingoperation, the locking-bars 60 have their lower hooked terminals inengagement with the bolt 62; but when it is desired to remove the topsection 15 the said locking-bars are drawn forwardly torelease the lowerhooked terminals thereof from the bolt 62 and are removed with theholding bar 59 from engagement with the covering and supporting bar 25.The latter is then opened to clear the guideslot 24 and permit the ropeor cable 45 to be drawn outwardly therefrom, a reverseoperationbeingeffected when the section 15 isapplied in operative position, asshown. The head 30 of the press, to cooperate with the groovedface-plate 48 of the follower, also has a grooved plate 64 on the innerside thereof, which may be made up of a series of strips with beveledends, and the same construction may be adopted in connection with thefollower.

In preparing the baling-press for use the follower is drawn back to itsfull extent by unwinding the extremities of the rope or cable 45 fromthe Windlass 34 and removed from the rear open end of the press, the topsection 15 being secured in place. The hay, cotton, or other material tobe baled is then put in the rear open end of the press between thestationary sides 8, top 10, andbottom 9. After a sufljcientquantityofthe material to be baled has been placed within the rearportion of the press and preliminarily packed to a limited degree thefollower is replaced in the rear open end of the press against thematerial to be baled. The Windlass 34 is thengradually rotated to drawthe follower forward, and when the latter has reached the'limit of itsforward movement the stop-bar 37 is released to permit the tooth thereofto dropinto engagement with the adjacent'tooth of-the ratchet-wheel 36to hold the Windlass 34 against movement and prevent unwinding of therope or cable.

The sides 13 are then removed, and the bal-- ing-wires or otherfastening devices are applied to the compressed bale, and the latter maybe mounted on wheels for convenience in' transportation, and by its usebales may be understood that changes in the proportions,'dimensions,form, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is--' 1. Abaling-press having a rear closed portion with an open end, forwardremovable hinged sides, a forward removable top section made up of twosections hinged at their inner opposing edges soeas to form a joint atan intermediate point therein, means for holding the top section innormal position, a follower,- and means for operating the follower.

2. Abaling-press having a follower therein, means for operating thefollower,.and a forward top section comprisinghinged members, one beingterminally held in the forward upper portion of the press and the otherhaving a hanger-strap with upwardly-projecting an gularends to engageopposite portions of the press.

3. A baling-press having longitudinal slots in the top and bottom of therear portion thereof, upper and lower cross-strips having open ingsthrough their central portions adjacent to the top and bottom ofthepress, a Windlass at the forward end of the press, a follower havingprojecting members movable in the said slots and'a part of the openingsin. the cross-strips, and a rope terminally engaging upper and lowerportions of the Windlass and projecting through the openings in thecrossstrips and around the rear portion of the follower.

4. A baling-press having a Windlass dis posed at one end, a followerprovided with a rear pressure-bar having rounded grooved terminals, anda rope or cable terminally en'- gaging opposite portions of the.windlass and passing around and directly bearing against the rearedgeof the pressure-bar and fitting in the grooved ends of the latter.

ing arms each composed of two stripsspaced apart from each other, avertically-disposed pressure-bar held between the. said strips-inadvance of the rear ends of the latter to provide guideways-between thesaid rear ends,

a rope or cable passed over the said pressurebar and through theguideways formed between the rear ends of the strips, and means at thefront end of the press for exertinga pulling tension on the rope orcable. 5 6. Abaling-presshavinglongitudinally-extending slots intheupper and lowerportions thereof, a follower movable in the pressandprovided with a rear vertically-disposed pressure-bar having its endsprojecting through the said slots and also-with flanges in advance ofthelatter to engage the slots, a rope or cable loosely passed over therear edge of pressurebar and directed toward the front end of the press,and means for exerting a pulling tension on the said rope or cable.

7. A baling-press comprising a body, a follower mounted therein, a ropeor cable passed over a portion of the said follower, means for exertinga pulling tension on the said rope or cable, a forward removable topsection having two members hinged at their inner opposing ends, acentrally-slotted guide-strip on the forward member of the top section,a covering and supporting strip pivotally mounted on the guide-strip toopen and close the slot

